BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 645
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Date of Hearing: July 15, 2015
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Patrick O'Donnell, Chair
SB
645 (Hancock) - As Amended July 7, 2015
SENATE VOTE: Vote not relevant
SUBJECT: After school programs: grant amounts.
SUMMARY: Authorizes an After School Education and Safety (ASES)
Program to suspend its operation for no more than five
schooldays in a fiscal year, beginning January 1, 2016.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Finds and declares that the cost of operating a program is
exceeding the grant amount provided in statute.
2)Specifies that if the suspension of operation results in a
grant adjustment due to not meeting targeted attendance level,
the California Department of Education (CDE) may approve a
request from the program grantee for an exemption from the
adjustment. Specifies that cost savings that result from the
suspension of a program pursuant to this bill shall be used
solely by the entity that is providing direct services to
pupils.
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3)Specifies that the authorization to suspend operation of
program shall remain in effect only until July 1, 2017, unless
a later enacted statute, that is enacted before July 1, 2017,
deletes or extends that date.
4)Authorizes an ASES program to determine the specific grades to
be served at participating schools based on local needs.
5)Strikes the intent of the Legislature that pupils in middle
school or junior high school attend a minimum of nine hours a
week and three days a week in an after school program to
accomplish program goals and instead expresses the intent of
the Legislature that each attending pupil participate in the
full day of the program for each day in which the pupil
attends the program.
6)Strikes the intent of the Legislature that pupils in middle
school or junior high schools attend a minimum of six hours a
week or three days a week in a before school program to
accomplish program goals and instead expresses the intent of
the Legislature that each attending pupil participate in the
full day of the program for each day in which the pupil
attends the program, except when arriving late in accordance
with the late arrival policy.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Establishes the ASES program through the 2002 voter approved
initiative, Proposition 49. The ASES program funds the
establishment of local after school education and enrichment
programs, which are created through partnerships between
schools and local community resources to provide literacy,
academic enrichment and safe constructive alternatives for
students in kindergarten through ninth grade (Education Code
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(EC) Section 8482).
2)Requires the CDE to adjust the grant level of any school
within the program that is under its targeted attendance level
by more than 15% in each of two consecutive years. (EC
Section 8483.7(a)(1)(A)(ii))
3)Specifies that in any year after the initial grant year, if
the actual attendance level of a school within the program
falls below 75% of the target attendance level, the CDE shall
perform a review of the program and adjust the grant level as
the CDE deems appropriate. (EC Section 8483.7(a)(1)(A)(iii))
4)Expresses the intent of the Legislature that elementary school
pupils participate in the full day of an after school program
every day during which pupils participate and that pupils in
middle school or junior high school attend a minimum of nine
hours a week and three days a week to accomplish program
goals. (EC Section 8483(a)(2))
5)Expresses the intent of the Legislature that elementary school
pupils participate in the full day of a before school program
every day during which pupils participate and that pupils in
middle school or junior high school attend a minimum of six
hours a week or three days a week to accomplish program goals,
except when arriving late in accordance with the late arrival
policy or as reasonably necessary. (EC Section
8483.1(a)(2)(A))
FISCAL EFFECT: Unknown
COMMENTS: ASES program. The ASES program, passed by voters as
Proposition 49 in 2002, provides almost $550 million annually
for before and after school programs for kindergarten through
grade 9 students. In FY 2015-16, 555 school districts and
county offices of education operated ASES programs. Local
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governments and nonprofit organizations working in partnership
with local educational agencies may also apply for funding.
After school programs must commence right after school and at
least until 6 p.m. for 15 hours per week. Grants are provided
in three one-year increments with maximum grants at $112,500 per
year for elementary schools, $150,000 per year for middle or
junior high schools based on a per pupil amount of $7.50 per day
of pupil attendance, and $7.50 per project pupil per day for
staff development, with a maximum of three staff development
days per year. Priority for funding goes to schools where at
least 50% of the pupils are eligible for free- or reduced-priced
lunch. Each program is required to provide a match equal to not
less than one-third of the total grant. Facilities may count
towards 25% of the local contribution.
Participating afterschool programs are required to have an
educational and literacy component in which tutoring or homework
assistance is provided in one or more of the following areas:
language arts, mathematics, history and social science, computer
training, or sciences; and an educational enrichment component,
which may include, but is not limited to, fine arts, career
technical education, career exploration, recreation, physical
fitness and prevention activities.
The program requires before school programs to operate one and a
half hours a day and after school programs to operate after
school until 6 p.m. for a minimum of 15 hours per week. ASES
grantees can request summer grants (previously called
supplemental grants) in order to operate for more than 180 days
or to operate during summer, intersession or vacation.
This bill authorizes a program, beginning January 1, 2016 and
ending July 1, 2017, to suspend its operation for a maximum of
five schooldays in each fiscal year. The bill also authorizes a
program to request the CDE to exempt an adjustment of its grant
level if the suspension results in a school not meeting its
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targeted attendance level. Under current law, the CDE is
required to adjust the grant level of any school that does not
meet its targeted attendance level by more than 15% in each of
two consecutive years; or, in any year after its initial grant
year, the actual attendance level of a school falls below 75% of
the target attendance level.
The author states:
"After school programs allow parents to obtain and keep their
jobs, providing children with a safe environment to receive
meaningful academic and enrichment services. While the costs,
demands, and expectations of ASES programs have been
consistently increasing since the passage of Prop 49, the
funding has remained stagnant. SB 645 will ensure high-quality
after school programs serving the neediest children and their
families are sustainable.
After nearly a decade of flat financing, these programs have
been stretched to their breaking point. The ADA rate of $7.50
has not been increased since 2006. During that time the
minimum wage has increased to $9 in 2014 (and will soon
increase to $10), and the Consumer Price Index has increased
more than 17%. Research has shown that the average cost of a
quality after school program is at least $7 per child per hour
or $21 per day-nearly 3 times the rate paid to ASES providers.
A 2015 survey of over 500 ASES grantees representing over 300
school districts found that 89% of programs are negatively
impacted by the current daily rate, with 84% of ASES grantees
struggling to attract, recruit, and retain quality staff, and
many forced to reduce staffing hours, limit professional
development, abandon specialized instruction, and reduce
efforts to coordinate learning with the school day as a direct
consequence of the stagnant ASES daily rate."
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This bill follows an attempt to secure increased funding in the
2015-16 budget. The Assembly's budget provided an additional
$50 million and the budget conference committee reduced the
amount to $25 million. However, the budget signed by the
Governor included no increase. According to the California
After School Coalition, allowing the suspension of existing
programs will prevent closure of some programs.
The bill also revises legislative intent regarding pupil
attendance. Current law expresses the intent of the Legislature
that for an after school program, elementary school pupils
participate in the full day of a program every day and for
middle and junior high school pupils to attend a minimum of nine
hours a week and three days a week. Current law also expresses
the intent of the Legislature for pupils to attend a before
school program similarly, except when arriving late in
accordance with the late arrival policy. This bill strikes
reference to middle and high school pupils and simply expresses
the intent of the Legislature that each pupil participate in the
full day of the program for each day in which the pupil attends
the program. According to the CDE, this change is to eliminate
confusion that students are required to attend at least three
days a week in order for pupils' attendance to count.
Current law specifies that the ASES program is established for
kindergarten through grade 9. This bill authorizes
participating schools to determine the specific grades to be
served by a program based on local needs. According to the CDE,
this is to clarify that programs are not required to serve
pupils in all grades - kindergarten through 9.
Prior related legislation. SB 1221 (Hancock), Chapter 370,
Statutes of 2014, modified eligibility, types of grants, amount
of grants, and outcome measures of the ASES, the 21st Century
Community Learning Centers, and the 21st Century After School
Safety and Enrichment for Teens programs.
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SB 429 (DeSaulnier), Chapter 626, Statutes of 2011, authorizes
an ASES program provider to use supplemental grant funds to
operate a six-hour program and establishes other parameters for
programs operating summer, intersession or vacation programs,
including authorizing a program to be conducted at an offsite
location or at an alternate schoolsite and authorizing a
supplemental grantee to open eligibility to every pupil
attending a school in the district with priority for pupils
enrolled in the school that receive a grant.
SB 798 (DeSaulnier), Chapter 479, Statutes of 2010, requires any
federal 21st CCLC program funds that exceed the total state
appropriation for fiscal year 2008-09 to be allocated in
accordance with a specified formula that includes 15% for summer
programs serving elementary and middle school pupils.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION:
Support
A World Fit for Kids!
California After School Coalition
California Teaching Fellows Foundation (prior version)
Environmental Charter Schools
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Fight Crime: Invest in Kids California
LA's BEST
Los Angeles County Office of Education
Magnolia Science Academy - 8 Bell
Partnership for Children and Youth
THINK Together
Today's Fresh Start Charter School
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by:Sophia Kwong Kim / ED. / (916)
319-2087
SB 645
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